Sinicization in practice
Adapting Islam to local conditions best course for development in Chinese society: head of Islamic association
GT: How many Muslims now live in China? What efforts has the Chinese government made to ensure the normal needs of Muslims?
Yang: China now has more than 20 million Muslims. The Chinese government cares about and ensures the normal religious needs of Muslims which is reflected in the following five aspects. First, China supports the publication of religious books. The
Koran and other Islamic scriptures have been translated, published and distributed in Chinese,
Uygur, Kazak, Kirgiz and other languages.
Second, the Chinese government protects normal religious activities. Religious activities such as praying and fasting carried out by Muslims in mosques and at their homes in accordance with religious customs are protected by law. Since
1996, the government has arranged chartered flights for pilgrims every year ( which was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic) and provided high- quality services including medical treatment, catering, transportation and accommodation to ensure the safety and orderly activities of the pilgrims. The convenient travel arrangements for pilgrims have also won praise from abroad.
Third, the Chinese government supports the publication of religious cultural works and relevant media outlets. The government supports the China Islamic Association in publishing its magazine China Muslims in both Chinese and Uygur languages, and in opening websites in both Chinese and Uygur languages to explain the basic knowledge of Islam and guide Muslims in their faith and practice. Fourth, the government supports the training of high- level religious personnel. The government has approved the establishment of 10 Islamic institutions to cultivate high- level religious personnel. Fifth, the government helps improve the infrastructure of places for religious activities. Water, electricity, gas, communications channels, radio and television, and cultural libraries in mosques have been installed in these places to improve the condition for believers to practice their religion.
GT: What’s the latest development of the five- year plan for the sinicization of Islam? Why is the sinicization of Islam important?
Yang: In order to ensure the healthy development of Islam itself and the better adaptation of Islam to the socialist society with Chinese characteristics, the China Islamic Association has drawn up the outline for the five- year work plan ( 2018- 22) for the religion’s sinicization in China. The outline laid out scientific plans for promoting patriotism, building a system of Islam classics with Chinese characteristics, improving rules and regulations in the field of Islam, strengthening the construction of Islamic culture, engaging in public welfare and charity activities, and training high- quality Islamic personnel. At present, the work is progressing smoothly in all aspects and remarkable results have been achieved.
The localization of religion is the basic practice of the development of religion worldwide. Only by respecting and complying with this practice can religion move forward in the right direction. Looking back at a millennium of the development of Islam in China, its sinicization is the only way to follow the practice of religious localization and the road to prosperity. After Islam was introduced into China, after a long period of integration, it has gradually integrated with Chinese characteristics. The course of the development of Islam in China is the course of the continuous sinicization of Islam. We believe that the sinicization of Islam is the foundation for the better development of Islam in Chinese society. It is the only way for Islam to take root and develop in a healthy way in China. That is to say, only by adhering to the sinicization of Islam can Islam keep pace with the times, the development of contemporary Chinese society, and inherit and develop in a more stable and healthy way.
GT: Some countries and Western media outlets recently hyped that the installation of cameras in mosques violated religious freedom. What’s your take on this? Could you elaborate on what have the renovation projects at the mosques brought to general public?
Yang: Take Xinjiang as an example, the installation of cameras in mosques is aimed at protecting the safety of local religious figures and believers, guarding against fire and theft, and preventing and cracking down on violent and terrorist crimes. It is supported by local religious figures and believers.
Xinjiang now has 20,000 mosques, accounting for more than half of the country’s 35,000 mosques in total. In Xinjiang, there are a large number of mosques built in the 1980s and 1990s or even earlier. Some of these mosques were originally adobe buildings, some were small, and some were in disrepair or even dilapidated. During winds and rains, these mosques could not host religious activities. In addition, the layout of some mosques was unreasonable, which was inconvenient for Muslims to carry out religious activities.
In recent years, the government has stepped up efforts to repair those mosques, which has solved the problem of dilapidated buildings and made their layout more reasonable. The conditions of mosques have generally been improved, and some ancient mosques have also been well protected and repaired.
Editor's Note:
Over the decades, China has made great efforts to provide care to Muslim citizens and ensure their normal needs are met. However, some hostile forces in the West have used every means to smear China’s efforts in protecting Muslims and kept making groundless accusations including accusing China of infringing on Muslims’ religious freedom. What’s the real situation of Muslims in China? What does the government do to protect and improve their life? How is the sinicization of Islam going? Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Liu Xin (GT) interviewed Yang Faming ( Yang), president of the China Islamic Association and Adiljan Haj Kerim ( Adiljan), vice president of the China Islamic Association, to find answers.
Loving the country, loving the people, loving our religion is the honorable tradition of Islam in China.
GT: Could you tell us about your experience of studying abroad? How does China educate imams currently? Adiljan: After graduating from the No 14 Middle School in Urumqi, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, I was chosen to study abroad in March 1982. I was sent to the Al- Azhar University in Egypt to learn languages and religious knowledge. I graduated in June 1991 and then came back to work in the China Islamic Association in July in Beijing.
With the support of the government, 10 Islamic institutions have been established in many places across China, including in the Xinjiang region and in Lanzhou, provincial capital city of Gansu Province. In recent years, the country has also organized compiling of religious textbooks, laying the foundation for religious teaching. The China Islamic Institute has set up training courses for imams from Xinjiang. Since 2001, the National Religious Affairs Administration also organized training for interpreting religious classics, with more than 1,000 people from Xinjiang attending. The education and training system for imams in the Xinjiang region has also been established. In September 2017, the nation put over 100 million yuan ($ 15.49 million) into building a new campus for the Xinjiang Islamic Institute and eight branches in Kashi, Hotan and other places in Xinjiang, which helped to educate more than 4,000 students and helped maintain Islam in the region.
GT: In recent years, some s Western media reports have kept hyping China’s policies p to guide religions to fit into the socialist society. socie Does it aim to restrict Islam in China?
Adiljan: Guiding Islam to suit the socialist society is not to restrict or oppress the religion. It aims to use the socialist core values as guidance and to lead the religion to integrate into Chinese culture. It is also about helping religious groups to cultivate self- esteem and a positive attitude toward life.
Loving the country, loving the people, loving our religion is the honorable tradition of
Islam in China. By promoting Islam’s basic ideals, including peace, love for the country, friendship, equality, forgiveness and benevolence, it can play an important role in deepening love and unity among different ethnic groups and safeguarding stability.
GT: We have noticed that you have frequently communicated with foreign religious groups. What are their questions on Xinjiang? How do you introduce China’s policies in Xinjiang to them?
Adiljan: China’s Islamic circle has kept friendly relations with Arab and Islamic countries and Islamic organizations. In 2016, we held an international seminar in Urumqi, Xinjiang on Islamic ideals with representatives from Islamic countries attending. In recent years, Xinjiang has also welcomed many foreign groups, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ( OIC) and religious groups from Indonesia, Malaysia and Afghanistan.
They all thought that Xinjiang’s religious groups and imams are enjoying freedom of religion and that the local government takes care of them. They also felt the ethnic unity and harmony among different groups as well as the Chinese government’s attention and support to the region’s development.
We also keep good ties with the Al- Azhar University and Muslim World League, and attend international seminars to introduce Islam in China and the situation of Muslims in China. These extensive and regular exchanges with other Muslims globally help demonstrate the history and culture of Islam in China and the happy lives of Chinese Muslims as well as deepening mutual trust among these
countries.